Even with a great diet and discipline over a long period, it can sometimes be an incredible challenge to lose extra pounds, a fact that stands in bleak opposition of what modern medical science tells us is one of the key elements to losing weight. However, a recent study has uncovered an enzyme that may be at fault, an explanation for obesity that may be more genetic in nature than other causes.
The study, published in Cell Reports, found that when alpha/beta hydrolase domain-6 enzyme (ABHD6) is blocked in certain neurons in the hypothalamus of test mice, they cannot lose weight even when feeding on an ideal mouse diet. This could signal a possible link between genetics and weight loss difficulties in humans as well.
A Problem of Adaptation
Researchers at the University of Montreal Hospital Research Center (CRCHUM) created a family of genetically engineered mice who lacked ABHD6 in a very specific population of hypothalamic neurons.
They first tested the mice under normal living conditions with a healthy mouse diet and protective housing. The genetically engineered mice lived no differently than mice who had not been engineered. However, when forced to adapt for survival, the animals failed. They could not eat after fasting, could not raise body temperature in the cold, and could not avoid obesity when on a high-fat diet.
The team then switched the high-fat diet to a normal one, but the genetically engineered mice were unable to lose weight. Results of the research point to the possibility that the enzyme regulates the ability to adapt to extreme conditions. ABHD6 seems to control the body's metabolism specifically, and the dysfunction of this enzyme could be a genetic explaination for obesity.
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| ABHD6.Source: nih.gov |
Metabolic Effects Could Apply to Humans, Too
Your body controls your weight through a collection of signals. Endocannabinoids are one of those signals, as they control ingestions of nutrients and expenditure of energy when secreted by the brain. They are also important in the stimulation of appetite.
Marc Prentki, another CRCHUM researcher, found that blocking ABHD6 in organs and fat tissue breaks down endocannabinoids and protects against type 2 diabetes and obesity. Ongoing research looks to see what kind of effects occur when the enzyme is blocked in all parts of the brain. Once conclusions can be drawn, researchers might be able to open testing in human subjects to find more about this possible intersection of genetics and weight loss.
What the Research Means Right Now
Without analysis on the effect of ABHD6 blockage in human subjects, we can't make any claims about tackling America's obesity problem through genetic research. However, the study reveals that problems with losing weight, especially for those who have been sticking to healthy diets, may not be a problem of will but a genetic propensity for obesity.
If genetic factors and a lack of adaptability are to blame, and if researchers are able to pinpoint the actions and genetic factors preventing weight loss, they may one day find a way to reverse the negative the effects of ABHD6 and promote weight loss in men and women who stick to a disciplined, healthy diet.
